Improvement in carriage-seats and tops



Cthdird States @stent titille.

LEWIS Z. DODDS, OF' SOU'IHv BEND, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN B. MOULTON, 0F LA PORTE, INDIANA.

Letters Patent No. 113,504, dated April 11, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT iN cAn'ialAcE-SEATS ANp ToPs.

The Schedule :eten-ed tq in these Letters Patent and making parl: of the same.

I, LEWIS Z. DoDDs, of the city of South Bend, .inthe county of St. Joseph and Statei of Indiana, have' invented certain Improvements in Carriage- Seats and Tops, of which the following 'is a speciication.

Nature mul Objects of the Invention.

The rst part of my invention consists of the con-d struction of the shifting-rail attached to the carriageseat, with springs at each end for the purpose of aiding to confine the rail to its "place when adjusted for use, and to unfasten the rail when removed and also' the construction of knob standards, raised on the top edge of the `shiftingrail, with holes drilled through them, in'which the knobs for securing the bottom of the carriage-cover are to be riveted f The object of this part of my invention being to obviate the necessity of drilling holes for the' knobs through the rail, thereby adding to thefstrcngth of therail at least one-third; and also7 the irons riveted or screwed onto the seat, three at each end, for catches for the rail to rest on when sliding-to its place, the ends being turned up to confine the rail; and also, an iron riveted 0r screwed on tlie 4center of baclrpart of seat, to receive the catch oul the .Y

back part of the rail and support the rail when adjusted .for use.

The second part of my invention relates to the bow-supports.v These are made oi steel or other proper matelal, and made with a holeA to slide upon the iron at the front corner or" rail made to receive the slat irons. The other end is attached to the bows. The bow-supports are constructed with a *spring near the end fastened to the rail to support the end of the bows where they are riveted to the slat iron, and with a pad in the center to rest on the props at the back corner of the rail.

The object of this part o t' niyinvention is to give a firm support to the carriage-top when' let down, and prevent the bows from breaking, one end of the supports being secured to the rail, the other to the bows Vnear the curve, the center of the supports resting on the pad; the props or rollers relieve the strain upon' the bows caused by the weight of the top when down.

Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure4 1 is the carriage-seat with the rail and bow-supportsl attached.

Figure 2jrepresents the rail disconnected from the seat. f

Figure-3 nepresents the vseat and rail-fasteningsl Figure .4 is 'an end View (from the inside) of rail and rail-fastenings, sca'le enlarged.

Figure 6 is a front view of bow-support when carriage-top is raised, scale enlarged.

General Description.

A A is the rail, with frame-work for bach of the seat and arm-rests. It is constructed of' iron or other suitable material, the part for the back of oocupant to rest against being of wood riveted to the irons. y 4The small figures l I l 1 1 -1 l l l l 1 are the knob standards, eleven VVin number, two at each end and seven on back part of rail.

The seat fastenings c a, b i), and c c are secured to the seat C C by rivets or screws. p

Iron (l, on back of seat C G, is used to receive catch -f in center of rail.

A A is lscrewed or riveted ou the seat. l The ends of seat-fasteuings, b b, c c, are turned up to confine rail in position.

g g are springs', on each end of rail. e c e c are hooks on rail to secure rail to seatastenings, as shown in iig. 4. l

it It bow-props or rollers on back corners oi' rail A A, ou which bow-supports rest when carriage-top is let down.

f, catch in center of A A to t into seatftastening cl when rail A A is in position.

B B, bow-supports. ,Small iigures 2 2 is spring, near endof bow-supports, on which ends of bows, where riveted to slate irons, rest when the top of carriage is iet down.

Small iigures 3 3, pad on middle of bow-supports B B to rest on bow-prop or roller h when top is let down, to prevent wear or friction oi prop or roller.

Small iigure 4 fastening of bow-supports B Bon bows, done by bolt and nut or rivets or screws.

Small figure 5 is fastening of end of bow-supports B B to iron at front corner of rail, being the same iron on which slat irons are fastened, the end of bow-supports B B being placed inside the slatiron.

This description, as well as the drawing, refers to the work in a` skeleton state before beingitrimmed or upholstered.

C' laines.

and arranged substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2."1he bow-support B lB, having. spring 2 and seat-fastenings a, b b, o c, dyatll constructed und paid 3, constructed and arranged in relation to a, arranged in relation to the seat and top of buggy buggy-top, substantially as 'and for the purposes set substantially as and for the purposes set forth.`

forth. l v LEWIS Z. DODDS.

3. The combined self'- fastening shifting-rail and Witnesses: bow-support, consisting of the rail A A, having JAMES DAVIS,

knob-standards and hooks, the spring catches g g, CHARLES M. HnA'roN, Jr. 

